Marketing Topic: Internet Marketing Exercise

---Effective Web sites

The Original 20 Reasons to Put Your Business on the Web, by Netporium, covers why most businesses are motivated to post Web sites. The five sites in this exercise are among the best examples on the Web today. Each one does a good job in meeting one or more of the following criteria for effective Web sites:

1. Content
2. Visual Appeal
3. Navigation
4. Download Speed
5. Interactivity

Review the Web sites below and assess how well the five criteria are being implemented at each of them. Support your analysis by referring to specific elements from the sites.

amazon.com

CNN

HONDA

Maverick
Requires Shockwave Flash – quick 178k download and install.

NOVA

Criteria for Web Site Evaluation

1. Content: What you read, see or hear on a site. Content must be evaluated in the context of the Web site. A news site needs to update events as quickly as possible. For example, some sports news sites were updating baseball games in which Mark McGuire was playing in September of 1998 on a minute-by-minute basis when he was closing in on a home run record. Many financial sites display the current status of stock markets around the world. A news site may also be judged on its breadth and depth of coverage.

A magazine may need interesting, well-written articles to attract visitors. An online retailer may do better if it provides clear and complete information about the products it sells. A computer software company may need to provide detailed technical notes that help in using the programs and updates that authorized customers can download.

The style of content can also be important. Are things presented in a dry but accurate way, or are they spiced up with personality and enthusiasm? If people enjoy the content, they are more likely to return.

2. Visual Appeal: Does the site look attractive? Is text easy to read? Are the colors, logos and other cues consistent with those of the company? Does it look "professional" or something that someone with no graphic arts training or aptitude could pull together? Also, does the appearance of the site match its intended audience? For example, a music entertainment site, such as MTV, might be less conservative in its choices of text color, animations and other visual elements than those of an accounting firm. However, even an accounting firm needs to offer a tasteful blend of graphics, text and layout (Arthur Andersen is a good example).

3. Navigation: Is the process of browsing the site intuitive and effortless or do you find yourself struggling to find what you want? Is the scope of what the site offers easy to identify?

4. Download Speed: How quickly do Web pages load? If you have a slower modem, you'll notice the time it takes to download a page with large or numerous graphics.

5. Interactivity: Beyond the simple process of navigating from one location to another or conducting a site search, can the Web site respond in some way to what you do? Some examples:

• Communicating with others through such channels as discussion forums, completing opinion surveys about a topic or submitting questions to an expert.

• Entering data or other information to obtain a result. Some banks and finance sites offer mortgage calculators where you can enter an interest rate, mortgage balance and term of loan to obtain the monthly mortgage payment.

• Taking an online course where feedback varies according to your choices, such as Kodak's courses at the Digital Learning Center.

The Original 20 Reasons to Put Your Business on the Web, by Netporium, covers why most businesses are motivated to post Web sites. The five sites in this exercise are among the best examples on the Web today. Each one does a good job in meeting one or more of the following criteria for effective Web sites: 1. Content 2. Visual Appeal 3. Navigation 4. Download Speed 5. Interactivity Review the Web sites below and assess how well the five criteria are being implemented at each of them. Support your analysis by referring to specific elements from the sites.
	amazon.com
	CNN
	HONDA
	Maverick Requires Shockwave Flash – quick 178k download and install.
	NOVA

Criteria for Web Site Evaluation
	1.	Content: What you read, see or hear on a site. Content must be evaluated in the context of the Web site. A news site needs to update events as quickly as possible. For example, some sports news sites were updating baseball games in which Mark McGuire was playing in September of 1998 on a minute-by-minute basis when he was closing in on a home run record. Many financial sites display the current status of stock markets around the world. A news site may also be judged on its breadth and depth of coverage. A magazine may need interesting, well-written articles to attract visitors. An online retailer may do better if it provides clear and complete information about the products it sells. A computer software company may need to provide detailed technical notes that help in using the programs and updates that authorized customers can download. The style of content can also be important. Are things presented in a dry but accurate way, or are they spiced up with personality and enthusiasm? If people enjoy the content, they are more likely to return.
	2.	Visual Appeal: Does the site look attractive? Is text easy to read? Are the colors, logos and other cues consistent with those of the company? Does it look "professional" or something that someone with no graphic arts training or aptitude could pull together? Also, does the appearance of the site match its intended audience? For example, a music entertainment site, such as MTV, might be less conservative in its choices of text color, animations and other visual elements than those of an accounting firm. However, even an accounting firm needs to offer a tasteful blend of graphics, text and layout (Arthur Andersen is a good example).
	3.	Navigation: Is the process of browsing the site intuitive and effortless or do you find yourself struggling to find what you want? Is the scope of what the site offers easy to identify?
	4.	Download Speed: How quickly do Web pages load? If you have a slower modem, you'll notice the time it takes to download a page with large or numerous graphics.
	5.	Interactivity: Beyond the simple process of navigating from one location to another or conducting a site search, can the Web site respond in some way to what you do? Some examples:
		•	Communicating with others through such channels as discussion forums, completing opinion surveys about a topic or submitting questions to an expert.
		•	Entering data or other information to obtain a result. Some banks and finance sites offer mortgage calculators where you can enter an interest rate, mortgage balance and term of loan to obtain the monthly mortgage payment.
		•	Taking an online course where feedback varies according to your choices, such as Kodak's courses at the Digital Learning Center.